In case you missed it: Giants trade 1B/OF John Bowker

In an under-the-radar move earlier this week, the Giants bid ado to one of their veterans down in Triple-A who fans of more than a few years should be familiar with:

Bowker wasn’t blowing anyone away in Sacramento, hitting .263 with three home runs as the team’s primary first baseman, but the move was made mainly to clear the way for Travis Ishikawa at his natural position. Bowker will benefit from the deal as well, likely claiming the everyday job at first with the Bucs’ Triple-A affiliate.

In exchange, San Francisco gets a player to be named later or cash considerations. Don’t expect much no matter which one it ends up being. Even so, it’s always sad to see a former Giant leave the organization, particularly with the veteran posse the Rivercats have put together this year (Ishi, Kevin Frandsen, Darren Ford, Juan Perez, Hector Sanchez).

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Bowker, a Sacramento native, was taken by the Giants in the third round of the 2004 MLB Draft, and logged a decent rookie year with the team four years later, hitting 10 homers and knocking in 44 across 111 games. Unfortunately, things went downhill for the Long Beach State product from there, as he struggled in limited action in 2009-2010 before being traded to Pittsburgh in the deal that sent Javier to San Francisco.

Things didn’t work out for the 31-year-old in his second go-around with the G-Men, but here’s to hoping that he finds more luck in Indianapolis. He may not have done a ton for this organization, but him and Joe Martinez (remember him?) brought us a key cog for our championship trifecta.

For that, Mr. Bowker, we thank you.